After our last update we headed off to the local bar, which proved to be one of the most cultutally enlightening experiences so far. It was only 10 pm and as soon as we walked through the door someon walked into us and it quickly became apparent that everybody in the bar was completely paralytic. Witin 5 mins. of sitting down we were joined by two Greenlanders who didn't speak any English one of whom proceeded to remove his prosthetic hand and put it on the table. Meanwhile the barman stepped in to prevent a fight from kicking off on the other side of the bar. This is the negative side effect of the recent Europeanisation of Greenland which has devalued the traditional inuit skills of hunting and fishing to the point where some Greenlanders feel that they have lost their value and place in society and turned to alcohol as an escape.
The following day we flew east to Nanortalik the first trip in a helicopter for both of us though a week on we have now made 4 flights. ( It is the only way to travel around here as the pack ice makes the sea impassable. The youth hostel that we stayed in was a beautiful 1915 cottage perched on the end of the headland overlooking a bay full of icebergs and being the first tourists that had visited this year we had the place to ourselves.
From here we flew on to Aappilattoq, a settlement of about 160 inhabitants which subsists on hunting and fishing. We stayed with a local family, where our Greenlandic phrasebook proved a wise investment and on the second day we went out with one of the hunters to see the magnificent fjords where thousand metre mountains drop away to the water in sheer sea cliffs and glacier noses meet the sea, breaking off into icebergs. Even to get out of the harbour and into the fjords we had to get through a maze of constantly moving sea ice, which occasionaly involved moving the icebergs by ramming them with the boat. On our last night we ate seal, which in these parts comes on its own - no veg, salad or even rice. This was a real glimpse or rural Greenland, a place and people rarely visited but very welcoming and we were sad to leave them behind as we headed back to the relative civilisation of Qaqortoq.
Tomorrow we fly to Narsaq from where we set off on a four day trek back to Narsarsuaq. From there we will begin our 72 hr boat odyssey to Disko Bay, 75 km north of the Arctic Circle, technology permitting you will hear from us there.
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Alive and well in Greenland
Well, we made it! Just in case any of you were missing us yet....!
It's only day 3, but we have already seen more icebergs than you could imagine. We would take ages to write you a really imaginative, descriptive, and eloquent diatribe on the incredible geological sites we have already seen and the fascinating culture of the Greenlandic people and the dilemma of their identity and how they view the Danish influence, but, like many other things in this country, the internet price is extortionate (though clearly that's not imported), so thought we would settle for letting you know we are still alive! For those with a map (or detailed knowledge of Greenland), we flew into Narsarsuaq, and are now in Qaqortoq, having taken the coastal ferry here yesterday. Tomorrow we head onto Nanortalik by helicopter, alledgedly one of the most picturesque parts of the country.
Miss you all heaps, lots of love, Ross and Alice
It's only day 3, but we have already seen more icebergs than you could imagine. We would take ages to write you a really imaginative, descriptive, and eloquent diatribe on the incredible geological sites we have already seen and the fascinating culture of the Greenlandic people and the dilemma of their identity and how they view the Danish influence, but, like many other things in this country, the internet price is extortionate (though clearly that's not imported), so thought we would settle for letting you know we are still alive! For those with a map (or detailed knowledge of Greenland), we flew into Narsarsuaq, and are now in Qaqortoq, having taken the coastal ferry here yesterday. Tomorrow we head onto Nanortalik by helicopter, alledgedly one of the most picturesque parts of the country.
Miss you all heaps, lots of love, Ross and Alice
Monday, 5 May 2008
Welcome to our blog!
Hello!!
We are about to embark on our travels, and, so that you can all see where we are and what we are up to, we decided to create a blog. First of all, here is a rough itinerary of where we will be, if anyone fancies joining us for any part of it, you will be very welcome, just let us know:
May 13th - July 5th : Greenland
July 6th - July 18th : Turkey (chilling out!)
July 18th - July 30th : Iran
July 30th - September 18th - Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan)
September 18th - October 31st - China and Tibet
November/December - South Pacific
New Year - Japan
January 6th - April 15th - Whistler, Canada
That's all for now, nothing interesting to report now, other than we have just spent the whole bank holiday weekend packing the contents of our flat into a room the size of a phone box (literally, not joking, well maybe a large phone box).
Do stay in touch with us, and let us know your news from blighty. You can contact us at
alice.barran@googlemail.com
rossavery@waitrose.com
Bye for now!
Ross and Alice
We are about to embark on our travels, and, so that you can all see where we are and what we are up to, we decided to create a blog. First of all, here is a rough itinerary of where we will be, if anyone fancies joining us for any part of it, you will be very welcome, just let us know:
May 13th - July 5th : Greenland
July 6th - July 18th : Turkey (chilling out!)
July 18th - July 30th : Iran
July 30th - September 18th - Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan)
September 18th - October 31st - China and Tibet
November/December - South Pacific
New Year - Japan
January 6th - April 15th - Whistler, Canada
That's all for now, nothing interesting to report now, other than we have just spent the whole bank holiday weekend packing the contents of our flat into a room the size of a phone box (literally, not joking, well maybe a large phone box).
Do stay in touch with us, and let us know your news from blighty. You can contact us at
alice.barran@googlemail.com
rossavery@waitrose.com
Bye for now!
Ross and Alice
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